State Representative Jason Conger of Bend will push his bill that he hopes could bring more jobs to struggling rural Oregon.

Oregon leads in nation in the number of people on food stamps - and is still in a recession in many parts of the more remote parts of the state. Rep. Conger says next session he plans to draft and introduce a bill that would hopefully attract more jobs to the hardest hit places in Oregon.

"RURAL COMMUNITIES IN OREGON REALLY ARE WHERE THE RECESSION HAS HIT THE HARDEST- AND WHERE THE JOB LOSSES HAVE HIT THE HARDEST AND HAVE NOT RECOVERED - SO I'VE DRAFTED A BILL AND PLAN TO PRESENT IT AT THE NEXT SESSION THAT WOULD ALLOCATE A PORTION OF THE OREGON GROWTH FUND- a FUND FOR THE STATE - AND it WOULD REQUIRE THAT it BE INVESTED IN RURAL COmmunities AND BE INVESTED IN A WAY THAT WOULD LEVERAGE pRIVATE INVESTMENT MATCHING - ESSENTIALLY- PRIVATE INVESTMENT.and it would BE AIMED TOWARDS HIGH GROWTH COMPANIES THAT HAVE THE ABILITY TO CREATE A LOT OF JOBS AND WOULD BE LOCATED IN RURAL SETTINGS."

He says the funds used for this private-public partnership already exist and the bill would suggest directing a portion of those funds to the hardest hit rural areas in Oregon. Conger was a guest on 1110 KBND's morning news Wednesday. To hear the entire interview you can listen to the Podcast on the KBND website under "Your Town."